Amnesty International

News about Amnesty International, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.

Chronology of Coverage

Mar. 26, 2015

Amnesty International report accuses Palestinian groups, including military wing of Hamas, of war crimes and flagrant disregard of civilian lives during summer 2014 war in Gaza. MORE

Jan. 16, 2015

Analysis of satellite images by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch reveals that Boko Harum militants have destroyed thousands of buildings in northern Nigeria by employing scorched-earth tactics against civilians. MORE

Dec. 7, 2014

Israeli military orders eight additional criminal investigations into conduct of its forces during its war with Hamas in Gaza; investigations come after withering accusations of war crimes by Amnesty International, and ahead of inquiry by United Nations Human Rights Council. MORE

Nov. 5, 2014

Amnesty International publishes report accusing Israel of war crimes in its 50-day war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip; says military showed 'callous indifference' to civilians in airstrikes on homes that felled entire families. MORE

Oct. 25, 2014

Amnesty International report finds police in Ferguson, Mo, violated rights of protesters there following killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown; human rights group says Ferguson Police Department should review its standards, practices and training to ensure that they conform to international standards for human rights. MORE

Oct. 9, 2014

Amnesty International urges Thailand to investigate allegations that police tortured two suspects who reportedly confessed to killing two British tourists on a southern island. MORE

Sep. 24, 2014

Report by Amnesty International and Omega Research Foundation finds that more than 130 Chinese companies are exporting law enforcement equipment that can be used for torture; study finds that exports are fueling human rights abuses in Africa and Asia. MORE

Sep. 11, 2014

Amnesty International cites at least one report of torture and hundreds of civilian detentions by military in wake of coup that overthrew democratically elected government of Thailand in May 2014. MORE

Mar. 27, 2014

Amnesty International says in its annual report on death-penalty trends that despite long-term decline in number of countries practicing capital punishment, publicly disclosed executions jumped nearly 15 percent in 2013 compared with a year earlier, largely because of 'virtual killing sprees' carried out by the authorities in Iran and Iraq; data excludes capital punishment in China, which regards information about number of executions as a state secret. MORE

Feb. 7, 2014

Jon Pareles reviews Bringing Human Rights Home benefit concert for Amnesty International at Barclays Center; concert featured Imagine Dragons and other bands as well as appearance by members of punk-activist band Pussy Riot, who spent 21 months in Russian penal colonies for crime of hooliganism. MORE

Oct. 24, 2013

Editorial holds reports issued by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have marshaled impressive evidence challenging United States government's assertion that collateral damage to innocent civilians by drone strikes is rare; maintains reports underscore the need for greater transparency and accountability from the government about use of drones. MORE

Oct. 22, 2013

Amnesty International investigation finds that Central Intelligence Agency drone campaign in Pakistan has at times killed civilians indiscriminately; findings defy claims by Obama administration that strikes have been increasingly accurate and free of mistakes; residents in interviews speak of terror and strain within a society caught between militants and the drones. MORE

Mar. 26, 2013

Russian authorities raid local headquarters of human rights group Amnesty International, latest in continuing series of office searches intended to put pressure on nongovernmental groups. MORE

Mar. 14, 2013

Amnesty International issues report detailing what it calls war crimes committed by both sides in Syria's ongoing civil war; cites wholesale destruction of neighborhoods with banned weapons by government forces, as well as escalation of abuses by opposition. MORE

Mar. 7, 2013

Vietnamese government opens dialogue with Amnesty International, allowing human rights group to meet with crucial dissidents and government officials for first time since end of Vietnam War; move comes as country prepares to draft constitution that seeks to address civil liberties and religious tolerance. MORE

Mar. 10, 2012

Amnesty International calls for Saudi Arabia to immediately release six Saudis held for nearly a year in connection with mass protest that never took place; protest was called by activists to demand political reforms in the kingdom. MORE

Jan. 15, 2012

Amnesty International is releasing Chimes of Freedom, a four-CD benefit album with covers of Bob Dylan songs; project, which embraces a time when music and social activism became bonded, grew larger than planned due to interest from artists who wanted to participate. MORE

Nov. 11, 2011

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch call on the Arab League to support a move by the United Nations Security Council to refer Syria to the International Criminal Court and to impose an arms embargo. MORE

Oct. 26, 2011

Amnesty International releases report accusing the Dominican Republic’s national police force of killing and torturing with impunity, contributing to an increase in crime and violence rather than helping to curb it. MORE